Amelia Earhart

At the age of 34, on the morning of May 20, 1932, Amelia Earhart set off from Harbour Grace, Newfoundland with the latest copy of a local newspaper (the dated copy was intended to confirm the date of the flight). She intended to fly to Paris in her single engine Lockheed Vega 5B to emulate Charles Lindbergh’s solo flight. After a flight lasting 14 hours, 56 minutes during which she contended with strong northerly winds, icy conditions and mechanical problems, Earhart landed in Gallagher’s pasture at Culmore, north of Derry, Northern Ireland. The landing was witnessed by Cecil King and T. Sawyer. When a farm hand asked, “Have you flown far?” Earhart replied, “From America.”

Today the spot of the landing mentioned as Gallagher’s pasture in Culmore is in fact, the 6th hole ‘Amelias Landing’ at Foyle Golf Club. The late Bert Gallagher was privy to meeting Miss Earhart as a boy, and after passing down the family farm to the next generation, witnessed the transition in use to the present day Golf Centre where he is remembered at the 17th hole ‘Berts’.